We’ve been looking forward to seeing One Man Musical for some time – we recently interviewed the show’s writers Flo & Joan, sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, during rehearsals for this run at the Underbelly Boulevard Theatre. The show was written for last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has already enjoyed a brief sold-out stint at the Soho Theatre, and is now running for six weeks at its new home just around the corner from there.
While the title may not give much away, it quickly becomes apparent that this a show about musical theatre titan Andrew Lloyd Webber, one that would be poking fun at the celebrity writer – at the top of the show we’re warned it’s a legal minefield. Playing Lloyd Webber is comedian and actor George Fouracres, while Flo & Joan mostly play the role of the band, adding piano, drums and backing vocals – although occasionally stepping out from behind their instruments to help keep the show on track.
It’s a very, very funny show – the jokes have a great hit rate and sometimes they arrive so thick and fast it’s hard to keep up. For the most part the quips are at Lloyd Webber’s expense, poking fun at the self-styled rockstar writer of the ‘musi-cool’, although his underlying dilemma is a fear that we’re sure many will share.
Essentially this show is telling his life story but with a knowledge that interest in his recent shows is fading, and that a newer, younger generation of writers are creating the Broadway and West End hits that were once his. We see Lloyd Webber wrestle with the realisation that his best years are behind him – at times it’s actually quite moving.
George Fouracres is excellent in the role, with a range of mannerisms exaggerated for comedic effect. It looks exhausting: this is a hugely physically demanding performance (we felt tired just watching). An extended sequence of attempted audience participation, which saw our Lloyd Webber try his hand at developing a bit of rapport which became a long-winded tangent about the origins of the name Iain, going into the minutiae of historic demographic shifts between Scotland and Ireland, had us almost in tears with laughter.
One Man Musical is a wonderfully irreverent comedy show – it’s a superb performance from George Fouracres and Flo & Joan’s songwriting prowess is abundantly evident throughout. If you have any interest in theatre, musicals or comedy then do yourself a favour and pick up a ticket – you won’t regret it.
GAY TIMES gives One Man Musical – 4/5
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